It’s a crazy weekend, folks: from free dentistry day to a no pants party to a rock paper scissors competition, it’s next to impossible to leave this weekend without a bit of entertainment. Looking for a whole lot of variety, packed into a short amount of time? Head to Pressed this evening for a variety show like no other. You can also head down to Mercury Lounge for the indie rock stylings of Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes, along with High Waters. Tonight is also the CHUO Edition of Battle of the Bands... | Continue reading article

Ravenswing stands out as being one of the more interesting, fun, and accessible grassroots creative events in Ottawa. I went last Sunday, May 26, and there were zines, live music, as well as Do it Yourself (DIY) arts and crafts vendors offering quality stuff. The event had gotten bigger and more bustling than years past. The diversity of participants of all generations and interests, as well as a group of passionate and dedicated volunteers gave the event an incredible energy. “Ravenswing is a labour of love.” said co-Director Lauren Potosky,... | Continue reading article

Melody McKiver is a (self-described) Anishinaabe musician, writer and interdisciplinary media artist. Trained as a classical violinist, she performs improvisational work on the viola and laptop (she’s also a percussionist and singer). More recently, she has been experimenting in composition, digital video, photography and online curation. A recent recipient of SAW Video’s Aboriginal Voices grant, she has also been selected as the Artengine Critical Resident Blogger for 2013. Over the course of the residency, Artengine and Apartment613 will be cross-posting Melody’s writing in the hopes of encouraging discussion and fostering... | Continue reading article

After two decades, Michael Feuerstack found things were getting a bit stale. That’s why the Montreal-based musician decided recently to ditch his Snailhouse moniker  the name he’d used to record eight albums of eloquent, wistful indie folk-pop since the 1990s — in favour of the name he was born with. But don’t think that makes his new album, Tambourine Death Bed, a radical departure. Sure, it may be the first album where Feuerstack’s name is front and centre, but the 12 songs, for the most part, mine the same musical vein that’s... | Continue reading article

Treasure hunters are going to have a heyday this weekend – but they’ll need some wicked transportation to do it. Start Saturday morning, bright and early, down in the Glebe for the annual neighbourhood garage sale – there’s the green version as well, with music and treats. Sons of Pluto will also be playing at the corner of First and Bronson, raising funds for friends headed to Kenya. Then, head out west for Hintonburg ArtsPark down on Parkdale, where CBC’s Ryan Gibson will host a day of music, food, fun... | Continue reading article

Aidan Knight and his band needed a van. It’s tough to tour without one and the band needed to somehow get off Vancouver Island. A van was bought. Now, the only problem was how to pay for it. Thus the Telecommunicate EP – an album born our of necessity. The whole process started only weeks before we spoke. It’s a four track digital only release based on the story of Robin Van Helsum, or “Forest Boy” as he was dubbed by the press when he wandered out of the woods... | Continue reading article

Editor’s note: Lesley’s video was recently featured on Weird Canada, a site that connects and promotes creative musicians and artists across Canada. Post by Keltie Duncan. Paralleling the move from CD to vinyl with digital download, Ottawa artist and filmmaker Lesley Marshall brings us a VHS transfer, with digital download, of her multi-camera, multi-format recording of an August 16, 2012 Holy Cobras show at Babylon Nightclub. The authentic, gritty, tactile “home movie” quality of VHS taps into feelings of nostalgia and good-times-gone-by: a fitting tribute to these relocated Ottawa favourites. Like seeing... | Continue reading article

Kicking things off, we’ve got Chinatown Remixed all day Saturday. From jellyfish in cafe windows to a main stage o’ fun, you’ll want to be wandering Somerset Street from dawn til dusk. Don’t fret too much if you can’t make it – the exhibits will continue on for the next month. Tonight, Shannon Rose and the Thorns are out at the Black Sheep, with Whitebrow stopping by to play some tunes from their new album. Saturday night, it’s the Ottawa Rock Lottery – your chance to see Ottawa’s best musicians... | Continue reading article

What is your musical fantasy? Does it involve copious amounts of liquid chocolate and a select Barenaked Ladies album? Or do you simply long to walk in the footsteps of a certain Liverpool quartet at the crossing at Abbey Road? (I could watch that webcam all day!) Or maybe you’re more the adventurous sort. Maybe you want to see what happens when numerous Ottawa bands swap members, create team of local supergroups, and put on a show. Well, that last fantasy will become a reality this weekend when the Ottawa... | Continue reading article

Recently we profiled two local photographers who chronicle Ottawa’s music scene.  In this week’s column, we expand our focus to include the numerous other music bloggers from the National Capital Region. Music Writers Most local bloggers probably don’t consider themselves to be journalists or writers in the strict sense of the word.  However, given that many music-related blogs contain interviews, previews of upcoming shows, reviews of new releases, insightful analysis and interesting bits of information, it is fair to say that many area bloggers are producing work that is comparable to... | Continue reading article